


Serenata Di Strada

by Arwen88



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Protective Bill, collaring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23190886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arwen88/pseuds/Arwen88
Summary: Johnny had said more than once that he expected some omega to snap and punch one of the fuckers in the face, and they all agreed that it would have been only fair.Bill didn't really expect himself to be the one to snap in the end.
Relationships: Bill Guarnere/Babe Heffron
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23
Collections: Loose Lips Sink Ships Prompt Meme





	Serenata Di Strada

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the CowT10, prompts: teatro, ossessione, omegaverse; and for the LLSS meme "Bill protects Babe from anybody who might want to bother him".
> 
> Thanks to thrill for betareading this! <3

Even though most of the guys in the company were perfectly good people, there were some truly obsessed with the thought of suppressants running out.

Bill could understand the omegas, everybody could understand them, their fear of running out of suppressants while out there fighting on the front lines was clear and understandable. There were some stories going around, horrible stuff, about what had happened during the Great War to the omegas that had gone into heat while on the front lines, and nobody wanted a repeat of that.

Nobody but a few alphas that seemed unable to stop talking about how they were going to score with some omegas in heat if things took a turn for the worst.

Scoring with an omega in heat was basically the most common erotic fantasy, and Bill could understand the appeal just like any other alpha, but there was something that didn't sound right in the way they seemed to be waiting to pounce some of their friends in their moment of weakness.

The NCOs had some sort of silent agreement to watch the guys with bad attitudes, making sure they wouldn't bother the omegas in the company. The omegas were more than capable of defending themselves, but they watched and made clear that sort of chatter wasn’t welcome, anyway.

Johnny had said more than once that he expected some omega to snap and punch one of the fuckers in the face, and they all agreed that it would have been only fair.

Bill didn't really expect himself to be the one to snap in the end.

***

Babe was a bright, intuitive, sweet guy that came from Philly just like him.

It was almost insane that they had never met before Aldbourne, with the two of them spending their whole lives in the same neighborhood, three streets away from one another.

Bill had recognized Babe's Philly shuffle as soon as Babe had entered the barracks on his first day at Aldbourne. From there they had simply started talking, getting to know each other while sitting side by side on Bill's bunk. Who they both knew, what places did the both of them go to in Philly, what did they like to do in their free time, what jobs they had back home.

Before he knew it, Bill found himself completely taken by the new guy, happy to have found someone from home on the other side of the world, there in his own company. He sent Babe to Toye, to join the other machine gunners, after hearing he had actually taught machine gunnery to the officers in OCS.

He knew he probably shouldn't have made friends with the boy, because of the difference in rank, because replacements tended to die quick, but Bill wanted to give everybody a chance to prove themselves. And, if he had to be honest with himself, he would not have managed to pull away from Babe, not after getting to know him.

Somehow, even the fact that their birthdays were merely eighteens days apart endeared the boy to him. It was the smile Babe had given him when they had found out about it.

It wasn't difficult to understand he had fallen hard for Babe's sweet little mug and his soft-looking hair, for the way he smiled and rolled his eyes when Bill said some stupid joke, even the way he complained about what terrible jokes Bill made.

It was enough to put Bill in a good mood for hours on end.

***

"It would be for his own good," Bill heard the guys talking as he walked back to the barracks after dinner. "He’s got such a pretty face, who knows how rough we could get with him when he gets his heat on the line." They chuckled, and Bill threw a glance at the little group, already on alert even before he recognized the alphas talking.

"Yeah, we should just fuck him for his own good. That way he’s gonna be in the clear out on the line.” One laughed.

Bill barely noticed he had changed direction and had started towards them, not even seeing that he was cutting Johnny off in his haste to reach the guys.

"He’s as good as asking for it, calling himself Babe," the first to talk chuckled.

If Bill had started approaching them with the intention to tear them a new one verbally and send them to their platoon leaders for some discipline, he saw red at understanding they had been talking about Babe the whole time.

Before he could stop himself, Bill grabbed the nearest guy, PFC Brown, by the collar of his jacket and slammed him against the wall of the barracks as the others jumped back in surprise.

"You fucking son of a bitch! Enough talking bullshit about fucking your friends, people who are fighting just like you are. If you dare come close to Babe or any other omega I'll fucking shoot you in the leg, did I make myself clear? No more fucking bullshit about fucking the omegas, you jackass," he growled, seething with rage.

Brown paled in front of Bill's fury, and not one of the others uttered a word. They silently started to slink away until they noticed Johnny standing there with his arms crossed and the look of someone who was about to report all of them to the superior officers.

"I've had fucking enough of you fuckers always talking like you're the shit! You think you're big talking shit about the guys going to war side by side with you? Well, let me fucking tell you that if any of you touch them, nobody will see fucking nothing if a bullet happens to hit your head out on the line! Do I make myself fucking clear?" he asked slamming Brown once more to the wall for emphasis.

"Yeah, man, don't-"

"We were just kidding-"

"Ah, you were fucking kidding, were you?" He gritted his teeth, turning to look at the guy that had dared to talk. "Joke yesterday, joke now, joke tomorrow, until it ain't a fucking joke anymore, d'you get what I'm saying?"

"Yes, sir," one murmured, echoed by the others.

Bill looked from one to the others and he stared a second longer at Brown, making an effort to let him go despite the desire to punch him square in the nose.

These assholes weren't worth a court martial, and he watched as they snapped a salute and filed away, leaving him and Johnny alone.

"They're gonna talk about this," Johnny commented by his side.

"Yeah, let them talk. Maybe the other assholes will stop too. Doubt Winters's gonna be pissed about me disciplining them anyway. If he hears about it he'll probably have them cleaning latrines till we jump again." He snorted, making an effort to clear his head from the rage before he was going to be back around the rest of the men.

Johnny was right, and Bill knew it, but the ball was rolling and there was no stopping it. In a couple hours it seemed everybody in camp knew about what he had told the alphas, but Winters didn't call him for questioning and just like Bill had predicted, the alphas found themselves mysteriously assigned to latrine duty for a week straight.

***

Bill put down the book he had been trying to read for the past hour when Babe entered the barracks and made a beeline for him. The boy didn't look hungry, just a tiny bit amused maybe, and Bill watched as Babe sat down beside him on his bunk.

"Heard you taught some boys a lesson."

Bill straightened up and puffed out his chest, even though he knew Babe could see right through his act - maybe even _because_ Babe could see right through his act. "Gave them a little shake down, Philly style." He grinned.

Babe chuckled and elbowed him, and Bill became more serious.

"I just knocked ‘em around a bit. Bunch of assholes can't even slink back to their dog house without saying they went through worse than they did. It really tells you a lot about guys that were talking big talk not two seconds before I jumped in."

He turned to look at Babe when the boy remained silent, and Bill pressed his lips in a tight line at guessing what else had made the rounds. "Yeah, they were talking about you,” Bill admitted.

Babe nodded with a light sigh, looking more tired than Bill had seen him in a while. "Yeah, they keep talking about me and the other omegas. I mean, we kinda hope they'll drop it now. It is a bit tiring in the long run," he had to admit, but then he lifted his gaze on Bill and a little smile tugged at his lips. "I was so proud of you when I heard it was you who finally snapped at them."

"Johnny was right there too. The other NCOs couldn't take it anymore either." Bill simply shrugged even though he felt a bitterness rise up once more at the memory of how they were just talking about raping Babe when he was at his most weak, out in the open like they had nothing to fear. "They can't do whatever they want just cause they're alphas. We are better than animals."

The touch of Babe's lips to his cheek surprised Bill into silence.

"Thanks, Bill," Babe murmured softly.

Bill turned to his friend with his eyes open wide, only to see the embarrassed and worried look on Babe's face. It took Bill a moment to understand Babe was fearing some bad reaction from him and he hastened to smoothen his brow, even if he still couldn't say a word when Babe brought his hand over Bill's with a crooked smile.

"Just- I really appreciate you looking after me."

"Hey, you are-" Bill shook his head, not knowing what to say to the boy. After a moment he wrapped his fingers around Babe's hand and squeezed it. "Babe..." he called softly, wondering if his friend could see how he meant the world to Bill.

Slowly, Babe's smile widened as happiness danced in his eyes. Bill couldn't help but return his smile, his heart hammering in his chest for what he felt was happening between the two of them, almost like they could finally truly see in each other what they had never told up until that moment.

"Babe..."

Babe leaned closer to him, squeezing Bill's hand in his own almost as if he feared Bill stepping back, and Bill moved to cover the distance left between the two of them.

He closed his eyes at finally meeting Babe's lips, and he sighed over his friend's mouth as they started chastely kissing. Bill reached out with his free hand and gently cupped Babe's face, brushing his thumb over Babe's cheekbone, caressing him as they shared kiss after kiss.

The silence around them was broken only by the sound of his blood rushing in his ears, and Bill hoped with all of himself that nobody would disturb them in that precious moment.

He couldn't help a light, throaty sound of desire when Babe's sweet scent filled the air around them, the proof that he wasn't only aroused but relaxed. It was the sweetest scent, and Bill loved knowing that that was the proof Babe wanted him, felt safe in his arms. As far as Bill knew, their body responding that way to an alpha was what most omegas took as proof that they had found the right partner, and he couldn't help but wish with all of his heart that Babe would choose so too.

"Babe..." he called softly, smiling over Babe's lips when the omega pressed closer to him.

It was easy to pull Babe closer and make him sit on his lap, and Bill smiled up at the boy that was looking at him with his cheeks flushed and a happy glint in his eyes. Bill was more than happy to wrap his arms around his friend - hoping the omega would wish to be more than that very soon - and he almost purred in answer when Babe wrapped his arms around Bill's shoulders and ducked his head to kiss him again.

Bill experimentally tried licking the seam of Babe's lips, and groaned when the boy parted them to grant him access. Bill deepened the kiss slowly, wanting to enjoy the moment as much as possible, to give Babe a perfect first kiss.

He drank down the low moan that escaped Babe, and he wrapped his arms tighter around the boy, aroused when Babe returned the kiss with curiosity. It was sweeter than any other kiss Bill had received, and he wished only to be able to keep kissing Babe for as long as possible.

Babe took Bill's face between his hands and Bill closed his eyes once more, slowly rubbing one hand over Babe's back.

"I like you," Babe murmured over his lips when they broke apart, and Bill cracked a smile, looking up at Babe, happy to hear those words.

"I like you too, Babe," he chuckled, full of affection for the boy even if the omega headbutted him gently when Bill used his nickname as a pet name.

***

Babe took care of compiling the documents, sat down with Winters and let the man drill him for half an hour as the Captain tried to understand if the omega had been somehow pressured into the relationship. After explaining how he had fallen in love with Bill slowly, the friendship developing into something deeper, Winters smiled at him. It made Babe feel better to know that the man was on his side, worrying for him like many others probably wouldn't have.

Only after Winters signed the documents that attested Babe had a preferred alpha for himself did Babe and Bill stop trying to be subtle about what was between them.

Not that they had apparently managed to really be secretive about it, if the "I knew it" looks they received from the other NCOs and Babe's friends after breaking the news were anything to go by.

The news around the camp was going to spread quickly, Bill knew as much. So, just to make sure people wouldn't go around saying he was an asshole that might have pushed Babe into something he didn't want using his rank, he decided they had at least to let the others know they were actually together. More than friends.

Not that he really cared about their opinion, Babe's - and maybe their superior officers’ - being the only one he vocally cared about.

Bill was going to make sure he showed Babe that the dogwhisting womanizer was in the past, that he could be loyal and faithful.

He also knew that the quickest way to squash down chatter and rumors was to let them all see how comfortable they were with each other.

Babe merely rolled his eyes when Bill told him before going at the theater that weekend for the USO show, but Bill could see the little smile tugging at the corner of Babe's lips a moment before the omega nodded in agreement.

They found a couple chairs still free in the back of the theater and sat down side by side. It wasn't too unusual, what with them being best friends for months already, but the camp was still stirring with chatter about what Bill had done to the other alphas and how Babe's name had been involved, and that was enough for them to attract more than one glance.

Bill had expected to be the one that would have to put his little plan into action, but he was surprised when it was actually Babe who reached out and gently put his hand in Bill's.

Bill didn't even try to hold back his smile. He threw a glance at his boyfriend as he turned his hand to entwine their fingers.

Babe was looking straight ahead, a little tilt to his head and a light flush to his cheeks, but Bill could see the little smile playing on his lips, the same one that was there when Bill would say some stupid joke and Babe would pretend not to be amused just to annoy him.

The effect on the soldiers around them was immediate. The silence fell almost as loud as the murmur that had filled the little theater not a moment before. Bill could very well feel every gaze on them, and soon the guys too far away to see got to their feet to search for what had every other soldier enraptured. Bill didn't look at them for a moment, watching the flush on Babe's cheeks deepen, but when Babe squeezed his hand a little, looking a lot less relaxed, Bill turned around and gave all of them a pointed look until they stopped looking at them as if they were the actual show.

Babe took a deep breath beside him, and Bill waited for everybody else to at least pretend they were not looking at them, to bring their hands to his lips and brush them over the back of Babe's hand.

Then, unexpectedly, a light purr escaped from his throat and it was Bill's turn to blush while Babe turned to look at him openly beaming, happy to hear Bill possessive and clearly loving the scent of his skin.

"You're so disgusting," Buck joked in a whisper in the row behind them, shaking his head and pointedly not looking at them when the lights were turned off at the start of the show.

But Bill merely chuckled and kept holding Babe's hand through all the show, a part of him secretly hoping that nobody would ever try and say disgusting things about Babe again, now that he had an alpha by his side.

***

Bill almost got whiplash when Babe told him about his last conversation with the medics that gave him the suppressants. "Come again?"

Babe pressed his lips in a tight line, looking tense with his shoulders taut and his arms around his knees. Still, he rocked a bit under Bill's gaze, even though he didn't lift his eyes from his knees and apparently couldn't manage to smooth down his frown.

"They said it would actually be for the best if I have a heat before jumping into combat."

"Why?" Bill wondered, truly shocked to hear the medics had done a complete circle and gone back to asking omegas to stop with their suppressants.

"Because they say it would be easier for me to be sure I won't get another heat for months if I get through one before the jump." Babe shrugged, frowning hard at his knees. "Even if I stop with the suppressants for whatever reason, if my body is okay for now, I won't be at risk. They say it's an option at least, since I have an alpha and all."

Bill had barely started to consider whether the idea could actually had its merits when it suddenly dawned on him that maybe he was part of the reason for Babe's nerves.

Slowly he moved closer to his boyfriend and covered his hands with his own. "Hey, look at me," he murmured, waiting for Babe to do just that before he continued. "I want to have sex with you, Babe. You have no idea how much I would love just that," he admitted, clearing his throat in embarrassment at having to actually tell the boy when they had barely gone through kissing and touching each other in the occasional solitary spot they could find.

"But if we're going to have sex, I want that to be ‘cause we both want it, not because any medic decided you had to do it." He gently caressed Babe's hands, hoping to help his boy relax.

His suspicions were confirmed when Babe started to relax, searching Bill's eyes to see if he truly meant it.

"I don't want you to do it just because a doctor said I should be fucked by an alpha," Babe admitted slowly after a moment, taking Bill's hand between his own, gently playing with his fingers.

"You're so silly," Bill shook his head with affection, leaning closer to press a kiss to Babe's forehead, sighing when the boy's frown slowly smoothed out.

He moved Babe's hands away and made him part his legs to be able to press closer to him. It was intimate to be on Babe like that despite the two of them still being completely in uniform, and he watched as a flush rose to Babe's cheeks as Bill leaned in to press a kiss to his lips.

Babe returned the kiss and sighed softly, cupping Bill's face between his hands, keeping him close as he looked for another kiss that Bill was more than happy to give him.

Slowly, as they traded kisses, Babe started truly relaxing at hearing Bill start to purr, and Bill pressed their foreheads together to be able to speak.

"I want you, Babe. Thought you knew it, with me being all over you, and how I like to get to whatever dark spot alone with you," Bill chuckled, brushing his lips over Babe's skin. "Thought you knew I'm attracted to you, what with me purring everytime we're so close." He kissed the boy on the lips once more, smiling when Babe nodded a bit.

"I want you too," Babe admitted searching for his gaze, cheeks flushed even as he wrapped his arms around Bill's shoulders almost as if trying l not to let him get away now that he was admitting his feelings.

Bill would have been lying if he said he wasn't pleased at hearing Babe openly admit so. "Well then, maybe we could consider going for it? We could get the doctors to give us leave and spend it in town. I could get room in the house we used to rent with the boys in town. Better than the place they give to omegas in heat here in camp."

Babe nodded and licked his lips, starting to get excited at the prospect, and Bill had to make an effort not to try pulling the boy completely under him right away despite his sweet, aroused scent filling the air.

"God, can't believe you thought I wouldn't want it," he murmured, tilting his head to press his lips over Babe's neck, still unmarked, and purring louder at the little moan that escaped the boy at his kisses.

***

It was the most anxious Babe had ever been.

He took a deep breath and tried adjusting the parachute on his back, trying to make it fit better with the sack and the rifle on his shoulder.

In the end, they finally decided where to send them in September, after months of keeping them waiting and waiting.

He tried to push back his nerves, knowing he had trained for this, that there wasn't more he could do to get ready for it. And yet, knowing that many died even before touching ground and that for once they were also jumping in plain daylight, didn't really help him to relax.

Babe cracked a smile when somebody gave him a gruff pat on the shoulder, and he gave a little nod at Toye, who checked him over before nodding in approval and proceeding to check on the other guys of his squad.

He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he searched for his alpha.

He still hadn't gotten completely used to the collar around his neck, covering the bite mark his lover had left on him when they had spent Babe's heat together, signalling to everybody that Babe was in a serious relationship. He touched the collar with the tips of his fingers, glad it wasn't too tight at least. Almost as if the thought had managed to summon him, Bill appeared at his side, his gruff attitude mitigated by the manic grin that he had on his lips as he checked his men. Babe knew Bill did it to help them all settle their nerves, but to him it was the fact that the man was back beside him once more that helped.

Bill checked him over just as Toye had done, approving of the fact that Babe had already taken his rifle out of the case. Before moving away there was the almost casual brush of their fingers together, and Babe met his eyes for a moment. Only then Bill nodded, squeezing lightly Babe's bicep.

"It'll be alright."

Babe nodded, knowing it was better if he kept his mouth shut and the nausea at bay, but there was no denying that he felt better knowing that, if nothing else, their relationship granted him the right to sit close to Bill on the plane.

"It will be," Bill insisted, ducking his head just a bit to meet his gaze. "You can't die yet, ma will kill me if I don't take you to meet her after writing about you. She's all up in a frenzy now. She'll skin me alive if I go home empty handed," Bill joked, his grin growing when his words managed to wrench a little chuckle out of Babe.

“Can’t let that happen.” Babe shook his head, feeling a little better, at least until Bill had to step away to check the rest of his platoon.

It was temporary, he knew, but even if after the jump nothing was certain, least of all the two of them staying alive and managing to get back home safe and sound, Babe knew they would be together for as long as possible.


End file.
